Get to know Camyoga Student, Jessica Ashby
Get to Know Camyogi: Jessica Ashby
Name: Jessica Ashby
Age: 21
Occupation: Unemployed
What brought you to yoga?
A friend suggested I tired yoga as a way to deal with stress and just improve my general wellbeing. My previous job meant that I was always stressed, exhausted and had left me with little motivation to do anything. I could never have anticipated the positive impact that coming to yoga would have on my life. It has given a real sense of self-worth, as well as the courage to make some drastic changes to my lifestyle.
What do you do when you are not doing yoga?
Anything creative! I’m always drawing and I try to carry my camera with me everywhere. I enjoy travelling and meeting new people, but I also spend a lot of time with my family.
What is your favourite yoga pose and why?
I don’t think I’ve been coming to yoga long enough to have a favourite pose but I enjoy most of the standing balances I have tried so far. I feel like they really connect my mind and body. If I begin to wobble it’s usually because my mind has started to wander. As soon as I bring complete focus back to the pose I see a real improvement.
What is your least favourite yoga pose and why?
Equally, I don’t think I have a least favourite pose although I do find poses like Dolphin Plank (not sure if that’s the correct name) very challenging. I definitely need to work on strengthening my core!
What is one quality you have taken off the mat and incorporated into your daily life?
Not to compare myself to others. I have often judged myself and my abilities against the success of others, and for me that usually induces feelings of resentment and inadequacy. It became clear to me from my first yoga lesson that yoga is about finding what is right for you, and that principle can be applied to any aspect of life. There is no point looking to the person on the mat next to you and thinking ‘I wish I was that flexible and strong.’ Equally there is no point in looking to your next door neighbour and thinking ‘I wish I had a big house and an expensive car.’ It is far more productive to focus your energy into being the best version of yourself that you can be, whether that is on the mat or just going about your daily life.
An interesting fact about Jessica that you may not know is… I have a terrible fear of flying!